This verse concludes the sentence that began at verse 24; some translations begin a new sentence here in order to be faithful to the formal and stylistic requirements of the receptor language.

The theme of what could happen to the opponents is continued here. If indeed they repent and come to know the true gospel message, they will perhaps escape from the snare of the devil. These three items, repent, know, and escape, seem to be in sequence, suggesting a process, and all three constitute the purpose of the correcting and disciplining ministry of Timothy (verse 25a). And they may escape may also be expressed as “and in this way they…,” where “this way” points back to their repentance.

Escape translates a verb that appears only here in the New Testament and that means “to become sober” or “to come to one’s senses.” Most modern translations reflect this understanding (in addition to Good News Translation, also New International Version, Translator’s New Testament “they will come to their senses and get away from him,” New American Bible, Revised “they may return to their senses out of the devil’s snare”). In this context the one verb implies both the ideas of coming to one’s senses and of escape as well.

The last part of this verse has presented problems of interpretation that have translation implications as well. New Revised Standard Version presents a literal translation of the Greek as follows: “having been held captive by him to do his will.” The problem is determining the antecedents of “him” in “by him” and “his” in “to do his will.” The matter is complicated somewhat by the Greek text, in which two words are used for the same pronoun, the first word being simply rendered as “him” and the second one as “that one” (hence “that one’s will”). There have been several suggested solutions to this problem, among which are: (1) “having been held captive by the devil (now, or from henceforth) to do God’s will”; (2) “having been held captive by the Lord’s servant, in order to do the Lord’s will”; (3) “having been held captive by the devil in order to do the devil’s will.” This third option is the choice of most translations. Perhaps it is possible to do justice to the second pronoun by taking it as emphatic; for example, “that dreaded devil’s will.” See 1.20 for comments on the devil, or Satan.

One notes finally that, in terms of chronological sequence, the Greek text is in reverse order, since being entrapped obviously comes before being rescued. It may be necessary in some languages to reorder the various parts of this verse, depending of course on the requirements of the language and the expectations of the intended audience. One translation that has done this is Translator’s New Testament:
• The devil may have caught them alive in his snare and made them do whatever he wants. But perhaps God will help them to repent and know the truth, so that they will come to their senses and get away from him.

Another possible reordering of the sentences in verses 25b and 26 is:
• The devil has trapped these people and makes them obey him. But God will cause them to turn away from their evil ways and come to know the truth, so that they may come to their senses and escape from the devil.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Defense appears only here in the Pastoral Letters. This term can be used in an informal sense, referring to answers given to private accusations (compare 1 Peter 3.15; “clear yourselves” in 2 Cor 7.11); in the present context, however, it is used in a formal sense, referring to arguments to refute accusations presented before a court of law (compare Acts 19.33; 22.1; 26.1, 2, 24). The event being alluded to here is Paul’s first trial before the Emperor in Rome. Other translation models for At my first defense are “When I was first tried” or “When I first defended myself in the law court.”

Took my part: this verb in various contexts can mean “come, arrive,” “appear (in public),” or “stand by, come to the aid of (someone).” What Paul seems to be saying in this context is that no one among the Christians in Rome went with him to the trial in order to lend him support. On the contrary, they all forsook him. The clause no one took my part may also be expressed as “no one witnessed on my behalf,” or even “no one helped me” (Contemporary English Version). For deserted see comments on 2 Tim 4.10.

Charged translates a verb that literally means “to put into one’s accounts” or “to charge one’s account.” In the present context the verb is used figuratively to denote not keeping a record of this wrongdoing, with the result that the people involved are exempt from the consequences. This sense is captured in a variety of ways by various translations; for example, Good News Translation “May God not count it against them,” Jerusalem Bible “may they not be held accountable.” Some translations completely drop the figure in order to get at the meaning; for example, Phillips “God forgive them,” New English Bible “I pray that it may not be held against them.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Secondly, the Christian worker is compared to an athlete. The athletic imagery appears elsewhere in Paul’s letters (see especially 1 Cor 9.24-27).

Athlete translates a verb that means “to be a contestant in competitive games,” “to engage in a contest,” hence “to compete.” The word for crowned appears only here in the Pastoral Letters. (It occurs twice more, in Heb 2.7, 9.) It was customary in ancient times to bestow a crown of leaves or flowers on victorious athletes; the crown therefore is a symbol of victory. An athlete is not crowned may therefore mean that (1) an athlete cannot win in the contest, or (2) an athlete is not acknowledged as victor even though he or she wins the contest.

According to the rules is literally “lawfully,” which is the same word found in 1 Tim 1.8. What these rules are is not specified in the text; perhaps these refer to training regulations, which goes logically with the first option above and that produces the following possible restructuring: “Athletes cannot win in a contest unless they obey the rules of training.” A second possibility is to understand these rules as pertaining to the competition itself, which goes with the second option above and produces a possible restructuring as follows: “Athletes are not crowned as winners even though they win the contest, unless they follow all the contest rules.” This second option seems to be closer to the intention of the verse, since it reiterates the eschatological emphasis that, as we have seen, is a main feature of this letter. Furthermore, this option takes seriously the meaning of athlete, which as previously mentioned is derived from a verb that means “to compete” and therefore focuses on actual competition rather than mere preparation.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• Any person who runs (or, competes) in a race against others cannot win unless he (or, he or she) follows (or, obeys) all the rules.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Persecutions is derived from a verb that refers to the act of organizing a systematic program of harassment and oppression. My persecutions may also be expressed as “when people persecuted me,” “when people showed their hatred toward me (or, showed how much they hated me),” or “when people caused me to undergo hard times.”

Sufferings denotes hardships in general, but in the present context it refers primarily to afflictions that Paul experienced because of persecution. It is in fact possible to restructure this part of the verse in such a way that the sufferings are identified with those hardships and difficulties that Paul experienced in the three places that he mentions (compare New Revised Standard Version “suffering the things that happened to me in…”). Such a restructuring makes clear that the sufferings are indeed results of persecutions. So one may translate “when people persecuted me, causing me to suffer greatly.”

The three places mentioned are especially significant, for these are familiar to Timothy, growing up as he did in this area. Paul visited these places during his first missionary journey (Acts 13.14–14.26; for persecutions in Antioch, see Acts 13.50; for Iconium, Acts 14.2-6; for Lystra, Acts 14.19-20. Lystra is especially significant, since it is the home town of Timothy himself (Acts 16.1-5). It seems that Paul is not simply appealing to Timothy’s emotional ties with these places, but to the firsthand knowledge Timothy has about these sufferings of Paul which became examples he followed. It is possible to restructure the first part of this verse as follows: “You know how people caused me all sorts of trouble in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, so that I suffered terribly.”

The expression what persecutions I endured can be understood as emphatic, accenting the gravity of the persecution and the ability of Paul to endure. This understanding is reflected in Good News Translation by the use of an exclamation point (compare New Revised Standard Version “What persecutions I endured!”). For endured see verse 10 above; the word used here and in verse 10 are not the same but are closely related in meaning.

Once again Lord is ambiguous, but in the light of the usage of this word in the Pastorals, the antecedent is most probably Christ Jesus. The word for rescued refers to deliverance from severe danger. Paul of course was not rescued from the persecutions, since he went through them all. But he was rescued from the dangers that these persecutions presented, as, for instance, the danger of giving up, and especially the danger of being killed. Another translation model, then, is “But Christ Jesus rescued me from all these dangers.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

For beloved see 1 Tim 6.2. The term is based on the Greek word for love (agapē) and is therefore an expression of Paul’s intimate endearment to Timothy. Another way of expressing To Timothy, my beloved child is “Timothy, you are like a dear child to me.”

On the translation of Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord, see 1 Tim 1.2b.

Alternative translation models for verses 1-2a are:
• I, Paul, who am an apostle (or, personal representative) of Christ Jesus, write this letter to you, Timothy. God chose me to be an apostle, and he gave me the life which he had promised to give me. This life comes as a result of being in a close relationship with Christ Jesus.
• Timothy, you are like a dear child to me.
I pray that God, who is our [inclusive] father, and Christ Jesus, the one who commands us [inclusive], be kind to you and cause you to live in peace.

Or:
• … God chose me to be an apostle so that I might proclaim the life which he promised to give me. This life comes….

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Avoid (Good News Translation “Keep away from”) translates a verb that appears only here and in Titus 3.9, and refers to the act of keeping oneself from being involved in something. Another way to express this is “Do not listen to.”

For godless see comments on “profane” in 1 Tim 1.9, where it refers to people. The Greek word itself refers either to a thing or a person that has no relationship or connection with God whatsoever. The verb form (that is, “to profane”) refers to the act of taking something that is dedicated to God and making it unacceptable to God. For godless chatter see comments on 1 Tim 6.20. The expression is plural, indicating not one but many occurrences of the event. Such in the expression such godless chatter represents the effort to do justice to the definite article that goes with godless chatter, which if translated literally would be awkward. However, such also may be misleading, for it may give the impression that Paul has just mentioned godless chatter in the immediately preceding verses, when in fact this is not the case. Many translations do not try to represent the definite article, but in many languages, the definite article is very important in this case. Godless chatter as in 1 Tim 6.20 may also be expressed as “worthless (or, silly) discussions that show no reverence for God.”

For here has the sense of “because,” marking the reason why godless chatter should be avoided. It will lead people into more and more ungodliness is literally “they will greatly increase ungodliness,” with “they” referring either to godless chatter or to people, with no indication of who they are. Some interpreters see irony here, since the word for “increase” can also mean “progress”; these people are therefore making progress but on a downward rather than an upward direction. An argument in favor of godless chatter as the subject is the fact that the expression is plural and is therefore the logical antecedent of “they.” An argument in favor of people as the subject is that “their” in the next verse seems to have the same antecedent as “they” in this verse, and it makes more sense to read “their” in verse 17 as referring to people rather than to godless chatter. But regardless of the conclusion we draw, what comes out rather clearly is that godless chatter affects people adversely. We therefore need to ask the question, among whom will ungodliness increase? Possible answers are: (1) people in general (compare Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version “It only leads people farther away from God”); (2) Christians; and (3) those who engage in godless chatter, particularly the false teachers, but not limited to them (compare Revised English Bible “those who indulge in it,” New American Bible, Revised “such people will become more and more godless,” Translator’s New Testament “those who practice it”). (1) seems the more likely interpretation.

Ungodliness is not the same word as godless but translates a combination of “godliness” (for which see 1 Tim 2.2) and a negative prefix. Some translations take “godliness” here to mean “religion”; for example, New Jerusalem Bible “they only lead further and further away from true religion.” Others take it in a moral and ethical sense, describing Christian behavior; for example, Revised English Bible “will stray farther and farther into godless ways,” Translator’s New Testament “go on to even worse irreverence,” Phillips “lead further and further away from Christian living.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• Don’t listen to worthless (or, silly) discussions that show no reverence for God. Such talk causes people to go further away from God.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Paul’s last testament starts with For, which connects these three verses with what precedes, namely, the charge to Timothy to be faithful in his ministry. What Paul seems to be saying is that it is very necessary for Timothy to do his best in the ministry, because Paul won’t be there to help out. It is clear from the passage that Paul did not expect to survive his imprisonment. The older man is being called home by the Master, and the younger man must now take over and fill the space created as a result of the older man’s departure.

For already see 1 Tim 5.15. His death is not going to be postponed any longer. In this context it will mean, as in Good News Translation, “the hour has come,” or Contemporary English Version “the time has come.” However, since it does not mean that Paul will actually die in the hour or day of writing the letter, in some languages this will be expressed as “it’s near the time” or “in a short time.”

The single Greek word translated on the point of being sacrificed occurs only twice in the New Testament, here and in Phil 2.17. The language used here recalls the practice of pouring out wine in the sanctuary as a sacrifice to the Lord (see Num 28.7). Paul compares his life to that wine that is poured out. Many translations make this information explicit; for example, New English Bible “my life is being poured out on the altar,” New Revised Standard Version “I am already being poured out as a libation” (compare Jerusalem Bible), New International Version “being poured out as a drink offering,” Phillips “the last drops of my life are being poured out for God.” In languages that cannot use the figure of “life being poured out,” one may say, for example, “The time has come for me to give up my life as if it’s poured out on an altar.” If it is not possible to retain the figure of speech, then it is also possible to say “It is very close to the time when God will take me from this life.”

Departure occurs only here in the whole New Testament. It is suggested by some scholars that this figure originates from sailing and refers to the act of releasing a boat from its moorings. In various writings at that time, it was a popular euphemism for death, which is the meaning intended here (so Good News Translation “the time is here for me to leave this life”). Many translations retain the figure, perhaps because the context clearly shows what it means.

Has come translates a verb that expresses very clearly the idea that something is about to happen very shortly.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

In this verse Timothy is exhorted to have, or follow (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), as his pattern (Good News Translation “example”) the sound words that he has heard from Paul. For pattern see 1 Tim 1.16, where it is translated as “example.” For sound words see 1 Tim 6.3. There the reference is to the words of Jesus Christ; here it is to the words of Paul, either in his preaching (that is, what Paul says about the gospel) or perhaps in his personal ministry to Timothy. See also the discussion of “sound doctrine” in 1 Tim 1.10.

For faith see 1 Tim 1.2 and 1.4. It should be noted that faith here is without the article in the Greek text and very likely refers to trust in Christ. For love see 1 Tim 1.5 and 1.14. How to interpret the prepositional phrase in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus is not very clear. It seems that faith and love are qualities that Timothy himself possesses and that are made possible by his close relationship to Christ Jesus. Furthermore, in following faithfully the example of Paul, particularly in the area of sound teaching, Timothy should do so in the context of faith and love; in other words, as Timothy endeavors to follow the sound teachings of Paul, his whole being should be permeated by his trust in Christ and his love for others. This understanding is reflected in Good News Translation, where the prepositional phrase is translated as an imperative: “remain in the faith and love that are ours in union with Christ Jesus.” This translation model will be very difficult for translators in languages which must use verbal expressions for faith and love. In such cases an alternative translation model for the second part of this verse is “As you follow this model, you should continue to trust Christ and love others. You can do this because you are united with Christ Jesus.” Or “… This is made possible by your union with Christ Jesus.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .